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biota

noun

  1. superdomain of all organisms
  2. plant and animal life of a region
L20942 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /baɪˈəʊtə/

noun

Etymology: From New Latin biota, from Ancient Greek βιοτή (biotḗ), from βίος (bíos).

  1. The living organisms of a region.

    Although the broad macroevolutionary consequences of mass extinctions are well known (as in the dinosaurs-mammals changeover), their long-term effects on the temporal and spatial dynamics of clades and biotas are rarely investigated.

  2. A coniferous tree, Oriental arborvitae (Platycladus orientalis, syn. Biota orientalis).